People should be banned from keeping pit bulls at home

I run every afternoon in my neighborhood after coming home from work. But everything changed after a neighbor bought home a pit bull and has started to take it out for a walk every afternoon, right at the time I go running.

Nothing had happened yet, but I am aware how aggressive pit bulls are so I decided to switch my routine to early in the morning before going to work.

An 82-year-old woman was mauled to death by her family's pit bull in southern Binh Duong Province on May 17, less than one year since an 8-year-old boy, in the same province, was killed by his neighbor's pit bull.

Two years ago, two pit bulls attacked and killed a man in the southern Long An Province, and their owner injured himself trying to stop them.

Taryn Blyth, a dog trainer based in Cape Town, South Africa, said pit bulls were originally developed as fighting animals, and the dogs have been selected and bred as they are easily triggered to grab, shake and kill other animals, including other dogs.

As someone who cares deeply for public safety, I think there are three reasons why people should not be allowed to buy, breed or keep pit bulls at home.

First of all, a pit bull is potentially more dangerous than most other dog breeds. Looking at pit bulls, we can easily see their strong muscles and aggressive eyes.

Secondly, whenever they are in the attacking mode, pit bulls always aim at the most vulnerable parts of the victims and are very persistent.

I once watched a video of a pit bull attacking a goat on the outskirts of Thu Duc City in the middle of the dog's walk. Despite what the owner and others did (including beating and throwing stuff), the pit bull held the goat's neck firmly in its mouth until it died. It was painful to watch.

Finally, it is very difficult to keep pit bulls under control if you raise them as pets.

People who have pit bulls say it is not easy to train them compared to other dog breeds and that it takes just one minute of neglect for a pit bull to pose a danger to others.

Among countries that have either banned or restricted pit bulls are Singapore, Australia, Germany, the U.K., Denmark, Spain, Ireland, France, Italy, Norway, Switzerland, Turkey, New Zealand, Israel, Russia, Portugal, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Argentina, as well as several states in the United States.

I think dog owners in some of those countries probably have better public awareness compared to those in Vietnam, and yet their governments still apply the pit bull ban.

In our country, where many still decide to let their dogs out on the streets and into other people's yards and public elevators without muzzles, it is necessary to ban such an aggressive dog breed like the pit bull.

We shouldn't have to suffer any more news about this dog mauling anyone to death again.